September 28, 2011: Life Comparison

Introduction to fall material

·         Studying the book of Jeremiah

·         Lived about 655 – 586 B.C.

·         Came from landowning family

·         Called by God to be a prophet around the age of 29 years old (626 B.C.

·         King Josiah had taken action to turn Judah back to God, but the people’s hearts were still unrepentant

·         While other prophets and priests were saying everything was fine, God was speaking through Jeremiah that disaster was imminent 

Introduction

Weekly Scripture

Jeremiah 17:5-10 ⁵ This is what the LORD says:

                  “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. ⁶ That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

 ⁷ “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. ⁸ They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

 ⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

 ¹⁰ “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Discussion Points and Questions

• What is this scripture addressing?

o   This scripture compares Godly living with ungodly style of life

Verse 5:

• Here we see that these statements are coming directly from God
• Right away, it addresses those who would rely on their own strength and wisdom is doomed
• Turning away from God is like a drowning person refusing rescue
• We are offered a free gift, and yet we turn it down

o   Why? We refuse to submit to the will of God

•  We know that flesh is temporary and imperfect, so why would we rely on humans when we have an infinitely powerful God to draw strength from?

Verse 6: The outcome of one who relies on their own strength and not God

• That person will not even see prosperity when it comes
•  Does this mean that reliance on God means material gain and prosperity?

o   Not necessarily (see verse 8)

• "I have lived two ways in my life. One way I have lived has been out of the will of God; the other has been in the will of God. I can tell you," he said, "living in the will of God is the only way to live. To live otherwise is to live in misery and pain."[a]

Verse 7: The outcome of one who trusts in God

• We know that if we place our confidence in God, we will be blessed
• Again, is this blessing necessarily material?

o   No (see verse 8)

Verse 8: Comparison of relying on God as a tree with roots in an abundant source of water

• By drawing on a reliable source, we can withstand the heat that will come

o   It does not say “if heat comes”

o   It states “when heat comes”

• We do not need to fear because we have a bountiful source to carry us through the tough times

Verse 9: A universal statement about humanity

• We are rotten to the core
• Beyond cure

o   We are hopeless!

o   We cannot save ourselves or work out our own salvation

o   What hope is there?

Verse 10: Our salvation is based on grace, so why does God mention that we will be rewarded according to our conduct?

• Only God truly knows our hearts
• He will address us according to our actions
• “The Gospel, Luke 6:17-26[b], pronounces great reversals.  The poor, hungry, and sorrowful will receive good news while the rich, the full, and the happy will find their good times turned into bad.  There is a healthy tension between these two passages.  The passage from Jeremiah urges people of faith to live ethically; the Gospel warns against making a one-to-one equation between prosperity and piety.  People could misuse the OT lesson to support self-righteousness; people could misuse the NT lesson to advocate cheap grace.  The truth lies in the tension between the two passages.”[c]
• Think about heavenly gifts
• 1 Corinthians 3:8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.
• Revelation 22:12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.

Group Discussion

• How do we stay centred on God and not reliant on our own strength and wisdom?
• Are you talking to God your father each and every day?
• Are you listening to him also?

[a] http://preachingpoint.com/templates/System/details.asp?id=43859&PID=653715

[b] ²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said:  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²² Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. ²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. ²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. ²⁵ Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now,  for you will mourn and weep. ²⁶ Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

[c] http://fontes.lstc.edu/~rklein/Documents/advent.htm#Epiph6